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Cameron Diaz is Joining Colin Firth for Michael Hoffman's 'Gambit'

by Ethan Anderton
February 1, 2011
Source: THR

After being out of place in action comedies like Knight and Day and Green Hornet, I can't say that I'm too pleased with news of the next project for Cameron Diaz. We already knew Colin Firth was set to lead the remake of the 1966 British caper comedy Gambit from writers Joel and Ethan Coen and director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station, One Fine Day). Now THR reports Diaz has snagged the lead female role in the story of a London art curator (Firth) who plans to con a wealthy collector into buying a fake Monet painting. As part of the ruse, he recruits a Texas steer roper (Diaz) to play a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII.

In the original film, scheming career cat burglar Harry Dean is preparing to steal a priceless statue from the world's richest man, and seeks out the assistance of Eurasian showgirl Suzy Chang, who looks exactly like the victim's dead wife. Though the likable rogue's plan seems foolproof as he conveys the details to his partner Ram, the burglar’s usual precision is clouded by his relationship with his accomplice. Constantly reinventing the plan as his originally ideal spirals ever more out of control, it seems as if Harry's heist is destined to fail. I would expect the same problems to plague the new con as well.

I can't say that I'm very pleased with Diaz being cast in the lead female role, but with Firth leading the story, perhaps he can bring out the best in the actress. Perhaps Hoffman's romantic comedy sensibilities from One Fine Day will mesh well with the dry, wit of the Coen Brothers and we'll get a decent con-artist comedy. Otherwise, we may have to stick a fork in these male/female pairings in action comedies after the barrage of them we've had over the past year. Thoughts?

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